The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1887-08-19
THE KIMBALL GRAPHIC.
BY c. r. TINAN.

manglcd condition will permit we
cry for quarter We're down, and the
only consolation left to us is the con
seriousness that the town in which we re-
side boasts of improvements that would
never have been made had not this cx-
tremely liberal p~hilanthropist came
among us. There has been a dark, mys-
FERROUS, heavy whiskered rumor float
ing about that the new sidewalks on
certain streets were laid at the instiga-
ton of two-thirds of the property own
ers on those streets led by q few whom
the walk. would mostly benefit. and Or
dcred constructe by the city council.
But it seems that the said ru,ucr was a
canard. II did it, says the litsie ego
fist, Il did it with my little paper"
What he really did do was IL get the
property owners on his street to build a
sidewalk FROM Main street to his. aousc-
the last house on the strect-at the small
personal expense of $40 or $12. There's
a. sample Of his public spirit for you.
This is the sum and substance of lis in
terest in the sidewalk business outside
of the natural desire everyone has 10 see
general improg ements. If this is not SO
why does he not use his wonderful in
tluential sheet for the construction of
more walks? Why does he not at. once
build walks on the remaining principal
streets that need them as badly as any?
And while he is at it he might pause long
enough in his magical work of improving
shis town to pay a few of the bills; for
instance, one against the editor OF the
GRAPHIC Of SO, for new sidewalks this
year. A bill amounting to three times
the sum paid by any other individual for
the same purpose, and for walks that are
l,almost wholly for the benefit of others
than himself and the public and that
could not have been ~built-eXcept a
small Experimentation his consent,
which was willingly and chccrfully Civ
en- simply bccal.Gc it was q long needed
public improvement. A more disgusting
exhibition of gall was never promulgated
upon his suffering readers than that
urged upon the town the sidewalks
now so universal" statement. Even if
he had done so-which he did not do, ex
cept, possibly, a w line item or so
which was forgotten as soon as read
II, would not have amounted to the chirp
OF an insect, for, as one prominent Kim,
ball gentleman remarked the otheE day,
when the council or any other. public
officials in this town get SO hard up that
they act upon any suggestion made by
that little squirt they had better sell
out" Iae GRArHIc's expression that
our contemporary would evidently
send the town to hell a flying if he could
make a dollar by it, not a very
elegant one, to be sure-was prompted
not any more by recent Developments
than those of the past. 1t will be dis
ti1ctly remembered how this, trucker
who claims to have always "labored fol-
the betterment of Kinball' sold out tn,
influence of his sheet to Chamberlain fol
the meagre sum of $15 at the time of Thu
election for temporary capitol two year
ago. Our contemporary says. lit ha
placed all it has taken financially iron
the town directly in the town-to tn,
increased value of the assessments.
Well, who said to the contrary? Score!
of residents have done the same thing
including the editor of the GRAPuIC, ex
cept, perhaps, "to the increased value
of some ones else assessment instead o
his omn. Somebody has got it. Possib
ly when he keeps back money that h,
owes and beg, implores and compels hi
creditors to take it out in job work o
advertising he may be better able to Sin
vest directly in the town to the increase,
value of his town. assessment. Just now
by the way. he is assessed enough for n
practical plrposes-with what he hold
in trust-as much as any other individ
ual in the town. 1t is human nature 70
some to want to dance as long as other
pay the fiddler. 1t is comparatively al
4 easy matter for the most imbccil news
: paper to advocate public improvements
it requires no more brains than an as
needs TO feel grateful for straw place,
in its stall. But to deccrn just where tn
welfare of a city ends and extravaganza
begins requires sound and careful reason
ing-and that's somethi 6 that neve
hovers around the editorial desk of GU
lattlc-headed contemporary. TIL
GRAPHIC has never opposed any publ
Improvement for the benefit of Kimball
If in counseling moderation al times
has erred, we point to the municipal in
dcbtcdnesa Of the town, which is sevcra
thousand dollars in excess of hat a
lowed by law-an Indebtedness that car
not by any manner Of means be increase
no matter how urgent the desired i'm
provements-in justification of tina
course. Unfortunately for itsclf tn
GRAPHIC labors under the disadvantag
of having m editor who controls a larg
amount of property in the town. n
matter how honest in its beliefs an
statements it will as long as such a thin
exists occasionally have its motion
%misconstrucd by some and have cui
swapping at its heels. lisa part of tn
penalty one must pay for posscssin
more than someone else. For what cal
, ital our morbid contemporary can mai
for himself out of it he is wclcom
Were he possessed of a little brighter il
tellcct he would see how intcuable i Il
insinuation that the GRArHIc is r2nl
1; wise and pound f}olish over the wrlia1
I of Kimball. If one man has ten tim,
the mount of p opcrty another 'ns |
must by force of circumstances reap 5
equal proportion of any benefit which a
crues to the town from any source, fro
pubic improvements or otherwise; an
while he i, carefully guarding H. on
misunderstanding that he don't bny 40
than, he can pay for-he is looking aft
/ the n, crests of his lesser %ncighbor-
nancially srealsing-as well. It's al "a.